Children are ‘coded’ by everything – the environment, language, cultural references, and most influentially the attitudes and expectations of the people around them. This session explores how unconscious bias, gender and cultural stereotyping impacts on children’s developing sense of self, their attainment, and therefore potential. We will reflect on how developing learning environments and challenging our own assumptions can counter the many stereotypes that exist. We will consider how our perception of what ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ are like, what they are able to do and what interests them might impact on outcomes. How can all children be encouraged to access all opportunities and how can we engage families to be part of this conversation?